Ghent Marathon

When was the first race and how come the race started?

Our first edition of the Ghent Marathon race took place last year, Saturday the 28th of October 2017. The Belgian Guinness World record Marathonman named Stefaan Engels, the face and organiser of the Ghent Marathon, dreamed of organising a Marathon race in his hometown of Ghent. One evening in April 2017 we started brainstorming over a couple of beers and came with a proposal, a draft business plan, which we noted down on a beer coaster. This was what later became the first Ghent Marathon, a race that we hope will grow in quality and international fame.

What is the race´s record since the start?

On the full Marathon distance:The first male runner on the Ghent Marathon 2017 finished in 2h.29min.53sec.The first female runner on the Ghent Marathon 2017 finished in 3h.16min.42sec.

On the half Marathon distance:The first male runner on the Ghent half Marathon 2017 finished in 1h.15min.19sec.The first female runner on the Ghent half Marathon 20147 finished in 1h.27min.33sec.

On the 10km distance:The first male runner on the Ghent 10km race 2017 finished in 0h.34min.38sec.The first female runner on the Ghent 10km race 2017 finished in 0h.41min.56sec.

On the 5km distance:The first male runner on the Ghent 5km race 2017 finished in 0h.18min.15sec.The first female runner on the Ghent 5km race 2017 finished in 0h.23min.35sec.

How many participants do you expect for next edition of the race?

For our 2nd edition of the Pauwels Consulting Ghent Marathon, we are hoping for 10.000 runners in total. 3.000 more than our first edition would be wonderful. With around 3.000 marathon runners more, we can call us the biggest Belgian Marathon event ever. Therefore we invite all runners worldwide to participate and come to the beautiful city of Ghent. We promise you a spectacular running event from start to finish, with music, entertainment, light show and beautiful surroundings.

Which added value do you offer the runners?

The Marathonman Stefaan Engels is the key person to know what a runner needs to finish his running goal with a good feeling and in style.We, therefore, offer all runners a free group training package to prepare yourself the months before race day. At the race, there will be a spot to drop your sports bag and avoid any stress before the start. At the start line, we will foresee different waves with entertainment to warm up properly. During the race every 5km (as well for the 5km race at 2,5km) there will be a refresh zone with energy drinks, snacks and music that will boost you during the race. At the finish line, we give you a magnificent music and light show to give you the finish that every hero deserves. You will receive a unique medal, a recovery goodie bag and free massage for optimal recovery. Showers will also be at your disposal so you can refresh and stay for a bite & a beer at the bar (where it all started!).

What makes the race a special experience?

Our race the Pauwels Consulting Ghent Marathon is organised by our marathon family, most are runners from the Club365 of MyCoach Marathonman https://www.facebook.com/Club-365-by-Marathonman-196680704502169/ We have organized this event from our hart and tried to provide optimal quality for each runner. You will experience a beautiful nature running track around the historical city of Ghent. This a family event as well. We offer different race distances from 1.5km to an ultra-run of 68km. There will be free child-care with professional animation and our Mascot Victor the dragon will also be there. At the finish, we will have a party with a light show & music. You will get a unique medal for each running distance. Finally, we set an extra goal, with help of our partners and you we hope to achieve the label of cleanest Marathon event in the world. If you wish to run for charity we have a number of selected causes which you can run for.

Places of interest along the race route?

You start running along the Lys river, called the region of the Leie also known as a favourite place for numerous painters in the first half of the 20th century. You will cross the Parkbos, an area south of Ghent extended into a multifunctional green area nature reserves covering about 1200 hectares. From there you will pass the village Sint-Martens-Latem which currently belongs to one of the richest municipalities of the country and is characterised by leafy residential districts. The most interesting part is the art museums of painters that lived and worked in the picturesque Leie river valley southwest of Ghent. To finish in the Blaarmeersen a green sports and recreation park with a lake beach, diving club, hiking spots, two large playgrounds and the Watersportbaan, that everyone in Ghent knows, where you can row or run laps around it (one lap is exactly 5km).

What do you recommend international participants to do before or after the race in order to inspire to extra nights?

Before the race, we recommend participants to book a couple of days in advance to visit the beautify historical city centre of Ghent. For more information visit the website https://visit.gent.be/en "Ghent, more than one night stay"After the race, we recommend participants to relax and enjoy the good life and great food of Ghent: https://visit.gent.be/en/eat-drink And for a bit more culture, visit here the cultural cocktail of Ghent on a human scale: https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do

Former and present participants worth mentioning?

In the first edition, we had miss Belgium running her first Marathon, and other Belgian actors, singers and politicians participating in our event. For the 2nd edition, we are expecting more international participants from for example Japan, world-class runners who wish to beat their personal record. The exact names remain a surprise up until the day of the event!

Do you expect many tourists in the race?

We do expect that tourists who will come to Ghent for Autumn break 2018, will be able to participate in our Ghent Marathon event as it falls on the first Sunday of Autumn break. Do not miss this opportunity and register now!